Author: Chad Wulff

May 1, 2009 - Chad Wulff
This brew is a variation of sweet stout, with a small proportion of oats used in place of roasted malt, which has the effect of enhancing body and mouthfeel. They were originally brewed by the British in the earlier part of this century, when stouts were thought of as a nutritious part of an everyday diet. After having fallen from favor, the style was revived by the Yorkshire brewer, Samuel Smith, in 1980. They tend to be highly flavorful with a velvety texture and sometimes a hint of sweetness. Oatmeal stouts are now a very popular staple of the U.S. craft brewing scene.

May 1, 2009 - Chad Wulff
Imperial stout is an extra strong version of stout, which was originally brewed by the British to withstand the rigors of export to Russia and the Baltic states. This style is dense, opaque black and strong in alcohol (6-7 percent), with a note of sweetness. Burnt cocoa and dried fruit flavors are typical. Russian Imperial stouts originate from recipes that British brewers tailored to the tastes of the Imperial Russian court. Imperial stout was almost extinct until recreated by the British brewer Samuel Smith in the early 1980s. The style has now been embraced by U.S. craft brewers as a winter specialty.

May 1, 2009 - Chad Wulff
Flavored stouts are stouts, be they sweeter or drier, that have been flavored in some way. Dark fruits, coffee and chocolate are particularly popular, and the marriage of flavors should at best be greater than the sum of its parts.

May 1, 2009 - Chad Wulff
Stouts are very dark, almost black beers, and feature a heavily roasted flavor profile. This is achieved by brewing with malt that has been kilned until it resembles burnt toast. Although not always considered ales by consumers, these beers use top-fermenting yeasts and, as such, are members of the ale family.Dry stout is closely associated with Ireland in general, and Guinness in particular. These brews tend to be rich and dark with a definitive bitter note and a drying palate feel. They are classically paired with oysters, although any Irish stout drinker will tell you that a pint it is a meal in itself. Draught (draft) Irish stout is nitrogen-flushed to give it that tell-tale white creamy head that has made Guinness so recognizable. This process is also effected in cans and bottles with a nitrogen “widget.” The style is widely emulated throughout the world and is particularly popular with U.S. microbrewers and brewpubs, often as a more full bodied and dryer interpretation.

May 1, 2009 - Chad Wulff
Flavoring traditional beer styles is a particular feature of the ever-creative U.S. craft brewing scene. Flavorings used in porters are typically dark berry fruits and coffee, and when skillfully done the effect can be greater than the sum of its parts.

May 1, 2009 - Chad Wulff
Porter was originally an English, specifically London, dark beer style that was the drink of the masses long before lagers were conceived or modern ales were fashionable. In the heyday of porter in London, during the eighteenth century, the term “stout” was used to denote the strongest and weightiest beers in a brewer’s portfolio. The same relationship still holds true to this day, with porters generally being lighter in body and color than stouts. Porters are red-brown to black in color, medium to medium-full bodied, and characterized by a flavor profile that can vary from very subtle dark malts to fully roasted, smoky flavors. Being a centuries-old style, there are differences of opinion with regard to what a “true” porter was actually like and there can be wide variations from one brewer’s interpretation to the next. Roasted malt should provide the flavoring character, rather than roasted barley as is used with stouts. Stronger, darker versions and lighter more delicate versions are equally valid manifestations of the style. The influence of hops can often be notable in the richer craft brewed examples of the style. Although porter was the drink of the masses in 1700s London, it is not a significant factor in the British market today, despite the production of a few outstanding English examples. In the United States, it is enjoying new-found popularity among U.S. craft brewers and many fine U.S. examples are produced.

May 1, 2009 - Chad Wulff
Fortified porter and its sibling style, Russian imperial stout, were developed by English brewers to serve markets to the east. As these dark, strong beers gained favor, breweries along the Baltic trade route began brewing their own versions, and the porter lost its ale identity as these breweries used lager yeasts. The result is a beer that can resemble a very dark doppelbock, with alcohol levels between 7.5 and 9 percent. Black in color, the porters are very smooth with not much of the fruity characteristics you would find in a conventional porter. Roasted malts with dark sugars, caramelized sugars and hints of licorice show in the flavor profile. A hint of smokiness can also be present. Hop aroma is very low, maybe a hint of floral notes as long as they are not dominant. Medium- to-full bodied, and no sweet butterscotch or DMS in flavor or aroma.

May 1, 2009 - Chad Wulff
Sweet stouts are largely a British specialty. These stouts have a distinctive sweetness to the palate and often show chocolate and caramel flavors. They are sometimes known as milk or cream stouts. These beers obtain their characters by using chocolate malts and lactic (milk) sugars in the brewing process.

May 1, 2009 - Chad Wulff
Simply put, this is a stronger version of a dry stout, with alcohol levels between 5.7 and 7.5 percent, very similar to foreign or export-style stouts. The initial malt sweetness leads to a rounded out, dry and balanced finish. Coffee-like roasted barley present in the aromas. A medium- to full-bodied mouth feel is common. Fruity esters are very low to non-existent. Strong stouts are well balanced with sweetness/bitterness of malt.